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There is a house, just outside of town. More than a house it's a shack, a little old and rusty, and one would think it abandoned if not for the rumors surrounding it.
Everyone knows the person who lives in that house, at least by word of mouth. There are whispers that follow the owner of the house whenever he goes. Whispers that talk about the cats coming and going from the house, of the smoke going up from the chimney day and night.
Witches' sightings have been a rare occurrence ever since the end of the Magic War that had seen warlock and witches fight against each other in a vicious battle that had only ended when the High Witch Allura had lost her life to defeat Zarkon.
Even after their victory witches have kept themselves hidden from society, still shaken, still rebuilding. But if you talked with anyone in the village they would have said the same thing: the owner of the house just outside of the city is a witch.
Keith has never much cared about what other people think of him. He has been living alone for all his life, even since his father died, leaving Keith with an empty house and a garden to tend to.
He doesn't have many friends in town, but he has never tried to get close to anyone. If Keith has to be honest he prefers animals to human, since it's easier to understand the acts of animals than those of man.
When the first cat had showed up at his house, Keith hadn't hesitated much before sharing some of his dinner with it. The next day the red cat had been followed by another, and then another.
Keith has stopped counting them after a while or even naming most of them, only the ones who visit him the most. His house seems to be a sanctuary for the stray cats of the village, that find food, a roof to sleep under and some pets when they feel so inclined. Keith doesn't really mind. It might be said that he finds the company refreshing.
He knows what people say about him. They pretend to be quiet when he walks down the streets, but he still hears them. They say he's a witch, too scared of the warlocks that still remain at large to reveal himself, and for that reason they steer clear of him.
Sometimes he sees them hesitating, almost as if they wanted to ask something of him, but they soon retreat.
They think one of those cats is his familiar, a unique and necessary part of being a witch. They say he lives alone because he's scared, that he doesn't come close to them because he's still not ready to get over the trauma of the war. They say he lives alone because his entire family had been killed in the battles.
Keith has tried to tell them that nothing about that makes any sense, that he doesn’t have any magical powers , and that the only thing that could ever make him pass for a witch was a garden full of flowers and herbs. No one had listened and now Keith just didn't have the strength.
Being mostly ignored by the town doesn’t annoy him anymore though, and he prefers to spend his days in solitude rather than deal with them.
Keith has his cats, his house, and his garden. All things considered, he is happy.
One of the few people that come and talk to Keith almost every week is Hunk, the baker of the town. The first time, he had come to him because he’d heard the rumors and he asked Keith to give him a potion to make his bread irresistible.
Keith had refused time and time again until, one day, he had taken a bottle of water, sprinkled some salt in it and gifted it to the baker, hoping it would make him stop. There was nothing particular about that water, nor about the salt, but Hunk had been back the week after asking for more.
"I've never made a better bread in my life" Hunk said, and while Keith had tried to repeat that there had been nothing special in the water, it had become a tradition.
Most of the time Hunk is accompanied by Lance, his best friend, who keeps telling Keith that he's looking out for him? him and making sure no warlocks come near the village.
He means well, Keith realizes that, but at the same time, he acts like he's supposed to save the entire village in case of an attack. Keith sighs every time, wondering exactly what has he done to deserve this.
At the same time, he can't hide that their visits are fun and a way for him to socialize every once in awhile.
Someone else that often visits him is the daughter of the local doctor, a girl that keeps telling him that she comes from a long line of witches, so his secret is safe with her.
Keith knows for sure that no one in Pidge's family is actually a witch so he calls bullshit on her story, but it doesn't seem to stop her. Pidge wants to study him and his magic, and has yet to desist in observing him, even months after Keith hasn’t done a single spell since he isn’t a witch.
Pidge seems to think he's just playing hard to get and Keith doesn't know how to else tell her that he can't do what she asks of him.
Thankfully, every time she comes she brings her mother's special cookies and interesting books to read. She's intelligent and quick on her feet and Keith can admit he enjoys talking to her.
Pidge is sometimes accompanied by the strangest of Keith's rare guests. Not because Shiro is weird per se, he is in fact almost completely normal, but because Shiro is adored in the village.
Hunk, Lance and Pidge are, in some ways, outsiders as much as he is: Lance is seen as the village idiot, Pidge is way too smart to fit in with other kids her age and Hunk is sometimes mistaken as stupid for no other reason that he's too kind.
Shiro, on the other hand, is the golden boy of the village. Always ready to help everyone in need, always quick to say kind words and give a smile. It's a mystery why Shiro decides to come to Keith's house with Pidge, accompanied by an amused twinkle in his eyes.
Pidge tells him that Shiro was friends with her brother, before he left the village to find some of their ancestors, and that Shiro seems lonely so she takes him along when she can.
The other strange thing about Shiro is that while his cats are usually scared of humans (even his more recurring guests), Shiro seems to have a way with animals, especially with one of Keith's more skittish cats.
Black (Keith might not have the best imagination when it comes to names) is usually always present when other people are in the house, almost as if she was trying to keep guard, but she always keeps her distance. When Shiro comes, however, she always cuddles in his lap and purrs— not that she's alone. All of his cats seem to have a crush on Shiro (just like the rest of the village), and Keith still doesn't understand if it's the little snacks that Shiro always brings with him or something else.
In any case, Shiro always smiles at Keith, even when they see each other in the village, and Keith always tries to pretend that his heart doesn't skip a beat or two.
Shiro also seems to be the only one who believes him when Keith says that he doesn't do magic and always tries to remind everyone not to tease Keith.
Keith tries not to blush too much around him.
All in all, this is the life that Keith has carved for himself and it might not be an incredible life or the most interesting one, but he likes it.
He likes his weird, old, abandoned house outside of the village and he likes his army of cats. He likes to read on his porch in the afternoon and tend to his garden.
Keith likes the quiet that the night brings and he likes to see the lights of the village go out one by one.
Pidge had once asked him why he didn't interact with the rest of the village, questioning if he was afraid . Keith hadn't known how to explain that while sometimes he wished he could be better at socializing, he's not sad about how his life ended up.
Usually his house's guests are pretty regular with their visits (Hunk because he uses the potion as an excuse to come every week on the same day; Pidge because usually she only comes when she's bored and that happens every two days) and it's rare for the two groups to be at Keith's house at the same time.
Today is one of those days.
He's glad he went to the village to buy more cups after the last time, because now he can give all of his four guests their own mug. When he passes Shiro a black one, his guest smiles sweetly. If Keith can do one thing right that day, that has to be it.
"You know, we should do this more frequently," Shiro says, sipping from his mug with a contented sigh,"We always come at different times but... this is nice."
"And overload poor Keith?" Lance says with a smirk "I'm sure he's going into sensory overload right now. Too many people."
"Shut up," he grumbles.
Lance laughs in response, and soon Hunk and Pidge join in too. Shiro just looks at them with a soft expression that Keith really doesn't understand.
He thinks a lot about Pidge's thought on Shiro — that he seems lonely, a little lost — and Keith doesn't know how he can help with that, but a part of him wants to.
They have almost finished their tea when they spot someone walking hurriedly towards the house. Keith recognizes the woman almost immediately as a merchant from the village. She's gasping for air, probably having run the whole way.
Shiro stands up, running towards her, and soon they all join him. The woman is sobbing, taking Shiro's shirt in her hands with a desperation Keith is shocked to see. He doesn't know what has happened, but he's afraid of finding out.
When the woman turns towards him she releases Shiro's shirt and almost throws herself at Keith.
"You have to help me! Please! You have to!" the woman is screaming, sobbing uncontrollably. Keith almost takes a step back out of shock, but stands firmly, supporting her. He doesn't know what she wants or how to help her, and he's scared of doing anything.
"What happened?" Hunk asks, getting close, his worried face entering Keith's field of vision.
The woman doesn't turn, however, she looks straight at Keith's face while she speaks. "My son! I've tried everything! Doctor Holt has seen him time and time again, but we can't understand his illness and he's getting worse . I'm desperate."
Keith looks panicked when he realizes what's happening. It's not the first time someone from the village has tried to ask him for help, but it's the first time someone with such a serious problem has come to him. He doesn't know what to do.
"I'm sorry," he says, looking around at the others, searching for help. "I'm not a witch, I can't help you."
"No! You must! It's my last hope. You're my last hope, don't leave my son to die, please. " She's crying again, pouring out ugly sounds that make him want to run away as far as he can.
"But there's nothing I can..." he tries, before she starts crying even harder. He doesn't know what to do. Keith feels completely lost, and that’s when Shiro steps up.
He takes the woman from Keith's arms and gives her to Hunk, whispering something in her ear — a reassurance, probably— and then turns to Keith. Shiro signals him to walk back inside with him and he follows, unable to do anything else.
When they are outside of earshot Keith panics even more. "We have to talk to the doctor, there's nothing I can do! I'm not a witch, Shiro," he whispers frantically.
The other catches his shoulders, stopping him from moving too much. "I know. Keith, I know. But you should give her something anyway."
"What?" Keith asks, thinking that maybe even Shiro is going crazy. The other man just shakes his head.
"Listen to me," he says, quiet and sure. He sounds like someone who has the situation under control. "The woman is clearly shaken and even if what you give her can't help her son, it will ease her mind."
Keith looks at him, trying to understand and process what he's saying. It sounds reasonable. If Dr. Holt’s practical medicine can’t even help the child, then Keith’s so-called witchcraft is hopeless. However, a little vial of water and salt might not save him, but will make his mother feel better. If it's the only thing he can do, it might not be the worst thing.
"Yes, you're right I... I can do that, okay," he says, nodding. Shiro smiles at him, sad but also proud and Keith responds in kind.
The woman cries in Keith's arms again when he gives her the ‘potion’ and pats her back awkwardly. He raises his eyes and meets Shiro's stare from behind the woman, who looks a little tired but relaxed. Keith tries to smile at him but fails.
Sleep doesn't come easily that night for Keith. They have called Pidge's father and there's nothing more to be done. Yet Keith tosses and turns in his bed.
He finds comfort in Red, sleeping on the pillow beside him, and Black who enters his room in the middle of the night and sits down on Keith's stomach, purring slightly.
Still, the night passes by slowly and when morning comes, Keith hasn't slept more than three hours. He sits up anyway to drink some tea and tend to the garden, when he starts to hear murmurs coming from his porch.
Keith looks outside, at the early morning light, and wonders who could come to his house at this hour, when usually even Hunk waits for the sun to be higher in the sky to take the trip.
He opens the door, curious, and almost falters back. There have never been this many people in front of his house before, nor so many people talking excitedly between themselves.
Before he can ask what's going on, Pidge pushes forward, takes Keith's arm and then drags him inside the house immediately, shutting the door behind them.
"What's going on?" Keith asks, still too surprised to properly understand, and Pidge fidgets for a moment.
"Maureen's son had a miraculous recovery last night," Pidge explains. "My father doesn't understand how that could happen," then she huffs and looks at him, annoyed, "I told you to come clean to me about you being a witch!"
Keith digests the information for a second and he isn't sure about what to say before he sputters, "I'm not a witch!"
"You healed a little boy!" Pidge counters, pointing at his chest accusingly.
"I didn't! What? No!" then he thinks for a second and looks back at the door. "Is everyone here because they think I healed that kid? What the fuck, Pidge?"
Pidge shrugs "They are excited; there hasn't been a confirmed sighting of a witch in so long!"
"I'm not a witch!" Keith screams, a little hysterically.
"We know now, Keith! There's no need to hide! We'll protect you from the warlocks!" she says, determined. And he believes her, if a warlock came to the village looking for Keith, she would kick their ass to hell and beyond. But Keith still isn't a witch.
"Look, Pidge, it's not that I don't appreciate that. But I don't have any magic powers, okay? I would know! That was water and salt!" he tries, again, but he can see that it's going to be useless.
She looks at him, studies him, and then fixes her glasses "It doesn't matter what you say, Keith, because there is a line of people here for that water and salt".
Keith looks at her and then at the door. She's not wrong, there is at least half the village on his porch, waiting for him, and if anything Pidge has just said is true, they aren't going to leave empty-handed.
"I can just hide inside, never go out," he tries, faintly.
"You need to buy food for the cats," she reasons and dammit, that’s true.
Keith's life changes completely that morning. He prepares a big barrel of water and salt and starts passing it out to people. There is no reason why it should work, but they keep coming back for more, telling him of the incredible things his magic is doing.
Another thing that keeps happening is that people stop avoiding him whenever he goes to the village. They smile at him, wave, give him things for free. It's not all bad, but Keith doesn't know how to react. He liked his quiet life, in a way, but there doesn't seem to be any quiet moments anymore.
The change in routine alarms the cats too: most of the ones that stayed closer to the house spend the day hiding from the people that keep coming for potions. The only two exceptions are Red, because Red is the only cat that Keith considers his, and Black.
Black seems to feel threatened by the new arrivals, always keeping a lookout, but never getting too close. She doesn't want to be pet, but she's always in the room when Keith gives potions to the villagers. Probably a territorial thing, Keith reasons, and then leaves even more food out for everyone at night.
After more than a week of this, he's tired, and he's not even doing much but preparing fake potions and handing them out like candies.
Hunk, Pidge and Lance come by much more frequently now, and they act like his assistants. Keith has tried kicking them out, but he has to admit they are handy when it comes to working with the crowd.
Shiro only comes once.
Keith sends everyone away when Shiro arrives because he looks awful. He looks so tired.
"Are you alright?" Keith asks immediately, because he can only remember Shiro as perfect. Hell, he doesn't even think he has ever seen Shiro with bags under his eyes. Now, Shiro's skin is pale, and even if he's smiling, it’s not with his eyes.
"Yeah, sorry. I'm a little tired, I’ve had a lot of things to do. I just wanted to make sure that you were doing okay," Shiro tells him. He's considerate as always, but Keith just can't get over the way he's almost swaying on his feet.
"Sit down! I'm making you some tea," he says, curt, already thinking about how he can help Shiro. He planted some herbs that should help with rest and he's been toying with the idea of using them to make a cup of tea. It's not much, but maybe it can help.
"I'm fine, really..." Shiro tries, but Keith doesn't let him say anything else before pushing him towards the chairs on the porch. It's the place they all used to lounge before this madness started, and Keith can admit that he’s missed it a little.
"Just... I need a pause and tea as well. So, think of it as helping me," he says and Shiro just smiles, giving in.
Keith leaves him outside, making the tea as quickly as possible. While he's preparing the leaves, he looks back at the barrel of salted water he uses for his potions and hesitates only a second before mixing it together with the hot water for Shiro's tea.
He feels stupid doing it because he still thinks it's all a joke the village is playing on him, but... but if this thing works and he can be of use to Shiro in any way? He's okay feeling a little stupid.
When he goes back outside he sees Shiro, with his eyes closed, petting Black. The cat has jumped up on his lap and seems to be completely relaxed.
"She really likes you..." Keith says, surprised. Shiro looks back at him with a smile.
"She has good taste," the other replies quickly, as a joke, but Keith smiles all the same. She does, but when it comes to Shiro, everyone does. Keith can't really imagine someone not liking Shiro.
He puts down the tea in front of him, not saying anything else, and then sits on his chair, observing Shiro. His guest takes the tea, still smiling, and takes a sip. Keith can see the moment Shiro realizes there is something different about the brewing and Keith tries to cover it up immediately.
"I've been growing some new herbs. They are supposed to help with rest," he says, truthfully. He just hopes it's enough to cover up the other thing he’s done. "They are quite salty."
Shiro looks at Keith and then at the cup, taking another sip. "Or you just added salt to it," he says in the end, with a little smirk.
Keith looks back at his cup of tea, feeling the blush on his own cheeks. He doesn't know what to say. Shiro knows that Keith usually just gives out salted water to his 'clients', and he can see the way the other is smiling, amused. A little fond.
"I still don't really think they do much but... I mean, everyone says that they feel better after taking the potions and..." he stops, huffs, and then stands up. "Give it back, I'm going to make you another one."
Shiro laughs but clutches the cup to his chest. "Don't even think about it. I want this one. It's quite magical."
Keith tries to ignore the funny feeling in his chest and sits back down. He's so pleased by Shiro's declaration, by the relaxed and happy look on his face, and he doesn't know how to face his own feelings. They seem so big here, while they are alone on Keith's old porch.
He coughs, tries to recompose himself, and takes another sip of his tea "What are you doing that tires you so much? I thought everyone was coming here these days, the village seems to be deserted."
Shiro takes a moment to answer, drinking his tea in silence, before he smiles "I'm trying to fix some of the problems before they all come here crying to you. It must be difficult... I know you never wanted this."
Keith looks at Shiro, again —he hasn't really been able to do anything else— and he thinks he might pretend to be a witch for all eternity only to make Shiro's life a little better.
"I don't mind. Send them all here. I just have to mix some water and salt, it's really not that difficult," he says immediately. "You have to sleep. Rest. You look terrible."
Shiro laughs and Keith smiles as well, proud "Thank you, Keith, just what someone wants to hear.”
"I live to serve," he says, stirring the tea in his cup.
They drink in silence for a while, a comfortable atmosphere around them. Keith closes his eyes, wishing everyday could be like this.
"Thank you, Keith, really," Shiro says at one point and Keith smiles shyly into his cup.
A week passes by and Keith is starting to believe he really is magic if what everyone is telling him is true. At night, sometimes, he tries to move things with his powers, or make his plants grow faster, but nothing happens.
Shiro hasn't been back since that day, but more and more people are coming to Keith for help. Lance and Pidge have started working as his assistants full time, and Keith honestly doesn't know what he would do without them.
He feels tired, each day more than the last, and he's thinking about telling everyone that he needs a day off. That’s when a vial filled with the 'potion' slips from his hands as he’s handing it to a client.
He remembers that Black was at his feet and looks down, panicked, to make sure the cat doesn't get hurt by the glass. He stops dead when he sees Black's eyes glowing yellow. The moment passes in a flash and the sound of the glass container crashing on the floor makes everyone jump.
His clients seem surprised and a little spooked, but Keith can only look at Black. The cat notices and bristles for a second, getting ready to run away, so Keith reaches for her and holds her up.
"I have things to do, come back tomorrow," he tells the villagers and runs back to the kitchen. He can hear Lance and Pidge screaming something, but he has Black in his hands, squirming to get away, and he can't allow that.
He closes the kitchen door behind him before letting go of the cat. Black jumps away immediately from his reach, hiding on the other side of the table and hissing.
"What the fuck?" Keith asks, out loud, towards the animal. He doesn't know if magical cats can talk too but at this point, he's ready to believe anything.
He understands, in theory, that this probably means that Black is a familiar and everyone in the village has been right all along, at least about one thing.
Familiars are essential to witches, they work as a way to harness the magic from nature and assure that the witch doesn’t run out of energy. It’s also possible for the familiars to be a conduit for the witches to practice their power. It’s harder than doing a direct spell, but it’s possible.
So Keith is left in his kitchen, looking at the cat who’s probably the reason why all his potions actually work, and wondering what the hell is going on ?
He tries to take a step towards the cat, but he hears a low hiss. A warning then. Black has never been an aggressive cat towards him. Strangers? Yes. But Keith?
“I… I don’t want to hurt you,” he says, hoping Black can understand that he’s telling the truth. “I just want to know what’s going on.” He takes another step forward, but he hears a growl, stronger this time.
He sees Black move, fast as a lighting, and when he tries to dive, a blinding light hurts his eyes and he’s forced to close them, grunting in pain. When he opens them again moments later, the kitchen is empty and the door behind him is open.
Magic. Right.
He doesn’t explain what happened to Lance or Pidge, and simply tells them to send everyone away. Now that he has scared Black away, he’s not only further away from discovering the truth, but most importantly he thinks that all the vials of water and salt are finally going to be just that: water and salt.
Even if he opens his door to the villagers tomorrow, none of his ‘potions’ will help them. He’s really normal now, as he had always said. He really doesn’t understand why Black did it; who had sent her. It makes no sense in his mind that he had a familiar practically living in his home and hadn’t realized it.
Now that he thinks about it, Black had been a late addition to his collection of strays. Keith remembers seeing her the first time when Hunk had started coming to him, before that he doesn’t remember seeing Black’s white paw anywhere.
Why? Had someone sent her to him after Hunk had been sure Keith was a witch?
He’s lost in thought that night when he hears someone walking towards his house. He’s seated in the porch, drinking his usual nightly tea, and he sees a light, signaling someone is walking the dark path from the village to his house. Not many people are willing to do so at night.
The light flickers out a little bit before the person has reached the porch, but they’re close enough that the light of the candle at Keith’s feet should guide whoever it is.
Keith is incredibly surprised when the late-night guest turns out to be Shiro.
“Shiro? Are you alright?” he asks, setting down his cup and standing up in panic. Did something happen to him? To the village? He doesn’t have Black with him anymore, there’s nothing he can do, but he still wants to help everyone. Especially Shiro.
The other man smiles, but he looks unsure, almost afraid. Keith is immediately on edge, waiting for the bad news he’s sure is coming.
Shiro just shrugs and motions to his usual chair. “Can I sit down? I think we should talk.”
Keith nods before he even thinks about it and wonders what exactly they have to talk about, what could have happened…
Then he looks at Shiro’s usual chair and he spots Black, seated beside Shiro’s leg, content to be there. Oh .
“She always did like you a little too much,” is the first thing he says, still in shock. He’s not really registering what he’s seeing, but there is no denying the image Shiro and Black make. The cat huffs and jumps onto Shiro’s lap, and he just laughs and pets her. Keith isn’t sure why he isn’t screaming.
“Yeah, I…” Shiro stops and then shrugs, almost as if he isn’t sure how to continue. There is something strange about the way Shiro is holding himself, and Keith realizes what it is after a moment: Shiro looks afraid.
Keith had been building up some anger towards the other man: anger that Shiro had let him believe he might have some kind of magical powers, anger that Shiro let all this happen without saying anything, anger that he had even drunk the damn salt tea Keith had made. The anger dissipates before it can truly lodge itself within Keith’s chest when he realizes that Shiro is terrified .
“Shiro…” he starts, sitting back down again, and even if he’s not sure what to say, he tries to find the words. He has to find a way to make the other man relax.
Shiro doesn’t leave him the time, talking again before Keith can get another word in.
“I’m a witch,” Shiro starts, petting Black, “This is my familiar. I didn’t mean to deceive you, honestly. I just… I was curious when everyone kept saying you were a witch. I wanted to see if you really were. I’ve never met another one…” Shiro shrugs helplessly. “My parents went into hiding before I was born. So, I just wanted to meet someone like me.”
Keith nods, to encourage him, make him understand that he isn’t really angry. “But I wasn’t.”
Shiro nods, playing with Black’s fur. “Yeah, but I liked how you didn’t seem to care that everyone thought you were. And then Hunk asked for help with his bread and we thought we could help.”
“Because I had no friends,” he realizes, and Shiro looks down, ashamed. It’s true, had it not been for Black’s (Shiro’s) magic, he and Hunk would have probably never become friends.
“It was just supposed to be that! But then that child was dying and…” Shiro stops and looks at him with regret. “I didn’t think about the consequences and I’m sorry. I should have.”
“So you sent Black to help every day,” he finishes for him. He had noticed that Black had been more present and now he realizes why. He also realizes why Shiro had been exhausted last time they had seen each other. He’d been using an immense amount of magic through his own familiar.
“It’s also protection in case someone came looking for me, since there are still warlocks around,” Shiro explains, nodding. “I put you in danger because I wasn’t thinking straight and because I…” he stops then, blushing slightly.
Keith looks at him, immediately intrigued, and sits a little straighter. “Because you…?” he prompts. Shiro looks at him and then back at his hands.
“The Holts are a great family but they are a little too obsessed with magic,” he explains with a little laugh, “And I mean, I’ve been hiding my whole life, it’s a little bit of a second nature for me. But you… you didn’t seem to care. I liked that.”
Keith stops then, looking surprised for a second, before he finally puts it all together. “You sent your familiar to me because you wanted to be my friend.”
Shiro blushes again, a little more than before, and it’s strange seeing this other side of Shiro. He’s always been collected, a little goofy but always in control, and now he looks like a kid, unsure of himself. He looks like Keith, stumbling his way through social situations.
“Again. I am so sorry,” Shiro repeats, with a self-deprecating smile. “I put you in a hard spot. I understand if you don’t want me to come back anymore. I can leave the village if you want. I mean, if a warlock comes they are going to know immediately that you’re not a witch so you’re safe really, and…”
“Shiro!” Keith stops him. The other man looks nervous, unsure, and Keith wants to comfort him immediately, but he’s also still Keith. “I will forgive you, but on one condition.”
Shiro looks up, startled, before he starts nodding eagerly. “Of course, whatever you want.”
Keith smiles, feeling a little excited. “Can you do a spell? Something. I just want to see how it works.”
Shiro seems to freeze, and Keith fears he pushed a little too far too fast, but then he nods. He looks around for a second before he focuses on the candle sitting at Keith’s feet. Closing his eyes, he raises one hand towards the flame.
Keith almost gasps when the flame gets stronger and leaves the candle to morph into a different shape. He realizes after a second that Shiro has made a cat out of the flame. The animal looks around and then at Keith, moving to jump up onto Keith’s lap.
For a second Keith is ready to jump in pain, but he quickly realizes that the animal is just a little warmer than the air around them. It’s nice, having it on his lap, it’s warmth pervading Keith’s bones.
He pats it hesitantly at first, and then with more confidence, surprised and a little in awe. When he looks back at Shiro he finds him smiling.
“This is incredible,” he says honestly, and he sees Shiro flush a little bit more.
Now that he thinks about it, this could be the first time Shiro has done any magic in front of someone else and Keith feels honored to be the first. He’s not sure what to do with it, how to react to something so incredible. He just knows he needs to be careful.
So, the first thing he says is, “I needed another red cat,” even if it’s totally not true and they both know that.
Shiro laughs anyway, even if it wasn’t even that funny. “It’s going to disappear soon, but until then it can make you warm.”
Keith looks at the cat he’s petting and then at Shiro, and thinks that he might not be magical, but this could be even better.
“Thank you for showing me this,” he says, and it’s what he should have said before, what he really wanted to say.
Shiro blinks and then smiles, a private thing that makes his whole face light up. Keith wants to look at it forever.
“Thank you for not screaming. Or running away.” When Keith looks at him surprised, Shiro just shrugs. “I’ve had too much time to imagine this. I might have been a little scared.”
And Keith just laughs.
They talk more that night and Shiro explains to him how his magic works, how it would be helpful at this point if he could just work with Lance and Pidge and maybe use his magic without Black. Also that if Keith used some of his herbs to make the ‘potions’, Shiro would have to use less magic to make them work.
If Shiro could just enhance the natural properties of plants instead of creating the magic from scratch, he would need to use less of his power. It’s logical, and Keith vows to himself to start researching medical herbs to make sure Shiro never has to use that much magic for this ever again.
No one really says anything when Shiro starts arriving every day and helping them out, or when Shiro just stays with Keith after the day is done.
They work on Keith’s potion skills because Keith insists he wants to learn more, and sometimes Keith still asks Shiro to use a spell in front of him, mostly because Shiro always gets so excited at the idea of performing magic for someone.
Keith loves seeing the look of happiness in his eyes, the way he smiles while he makes Keith’s plants grow faster, his tea a little warmer. It’s never big things, but Keith doesn’t think he could live a magicless life anymore, now that he knows what it means to have Shiro beside him every day.
He doesn’t know what to do about it, doesn’t know what to say. He still sees the way Shiro sometimes gets a little hesitant with his magic, or the way he seems unsure that he’s overstaying his welcome.
Keith just wants to take Shiro’s hand and tell him to stay.
Months pass like this, and Keith keeps improving with his plants and medicinal work, thanks to Shiro making them grow within days. His potions now require less magic to be effective, and Shiro just smiles proudly at him every time.
They grow and evolve together and it’s routine nowadays for Shiro to stay at Keith’s home until the sun disappears, long after everyone has gone home. They sip their tea together on the porch, talking about magic and the latest village gossip, and it feels right.
Black is always with them, usually on Shiro’s lap, sometimes on Keith’s, and she feels even warmer than the fire cat that Shiro had created the first night.
Shiro looks better now that Keith is making sure he doesn’t overwork himself, and he smiles even more now that he has someone to talk to (even Pidge had told Keith that Shiro seemed less lonely).
“You know, if you told the village who the real witch was, no one would care, right?” he asks Shiro one night, while Black is purring on his lap.
Shiro looks up, startled, and then nods. “Yes, I know. They are not bad people. But the war… I grew up hearing about it and my parents were so scared of ever being found. I mean, it finished almost twenty-eight years ago, but…”
Keith nods and regrets asking the moment he sees the struggle in Shiro’s eyes. He knows it’s a sensitive topic. He should have just kept his mouth shut. “You don’t have to do anything. I don’t mind being a fake witch; I’m starting to have fun.”
Shiro smiles at him in that familiar way that seems to be reserved solely for Keith— a little shy and a little fond. “You just like threatening Lance to turn him into a frog.”
“And one day I’ll convince you it would be fun to actually do it,” he says with a teasing smile. Shiro responds in kind and looks back at his own mug.
“I don’t need them to know about me,” he says, in the end, looking back up at Keith. “I have you.”
He says it like it’s normal, like it isn’t something incredible. Keith thinks it is. He still doesn’t understand how he got so lucky to go from a boy who the villagers feared, to someone who can joke next to Shiro at night, smiles dancing on their lips.
It feels like a gift.
“You do have me,” he says, because it’s true, and the blinding smile on Shiro’s face only makes it better.
One day Pidge says, “I still can’t believe Matt is still searching for witches around the world and we had one right here all along,” and Keith stops and thinks .
He thinks about it while he prepares the potions, while he feeds the cats, while he prepares their usual night tea, and just can’t seem to stop.
“Do you want to tell me what you’ve been thinking about all day?” Shiro asks at one point when they’ve been sitting together for a while but Keith still hasn’t said anything.
Keith hesitates for only a second before asking, “Why didn’t you go with Matt?” because the more he thinks about it, the less sense it makes.
It doesn’t matter how much Shiro pretends he doesn’t mind hiding the fact that he’s a witch. Keith can see the excitement in his eyes every time he does a spell in front of him; the childish joy he receives from sharing that part of himself.
Travelling with Matt, searching for more people like him… it should have been Shiro’s first priority.
Shiro seems surprised by the question for a second before looking back at his tea. “I was… tempted. Matt asked me to go with him and I wanted to. But I was also afraid.” He shrugs, trying to play it down, but Keith knows Shiro now, and he can see the shame in the admission. “I agonized over the decision for a month and then…”
Shiro stops out of the blue and a light blush colors his cheeks. Keith looks at him, a little mesmerized, and waits patiently.
“Then I heard about you and I… I didn’t want to leave any more,” he finishes, voice almost too low for Keith to hear.
The warmth of the cup in his hands has been a pleasant sensation until now, but at Shiro’s admission, his entire being bursts into flames. It’s like something has ignited in his guts, deep inside him. He’s sure nothing had been there before, but now it feels like it may consume him.
Keith needs to say something, but everything he thinks of seems minuscule in the face of Shiro’s words.
“I’m sorry if that’s strange,” Shiro continues, reading Keith’s silence in the wrong way, starting to get up
Keith lets the tea fall on the floor in his haste to stop him.
He gets up and kneels in front of Shiro, pushing Shiro back in his chair. Words still escape him, and somehow, the magnitude of his feelings consume him in a way he’s never known before.
“Stay,” he whispers, hoping his voice doesn’t tremble too much on that single word. He doesn’t know if it’s enough to make Shiro understand what he means, that he wants him to stay now and forever. That he’s glad he stayed then .
Shiro stares at him, almost as if he wants to curl up inside Keith and never leave. Too late , he wants to tell him, you’re are already here .
“I’ll stay,” Shiro murmurs, a smile playing on his lips before he takes Keith’s hands and kisses them lightly. Feather light touches run across his knuckles in a way that makes Keith’s entire soul sing.
It makes Keith bold, bolder than he thought himself capable of, and he pushes up to kiss Shiro on the mouth. He means for it to be hesitant, unsure, but Shiro leans into it and Keith is lost. He knows he’s not a witch, but the depth of his emotions, the way Shiro’s breath feels against his own, can only be considered an act of magic in itself.
In the end, Shiro stays.